Freshman week was informative and engaging, but we worked for two days, which ruined the freshman week vibe. There was also more room to do compulsory seminars on racism and classism, as no one had such seminars until week 2, when the seminar was voluntary, completely defeating its purpose. My accommodation is very large, good value for money and faces the street, but it varies a lot by college. My friends from other colleges are paying exorbitant prices, but this is for rooms normally reserved for third year students. Having such cheap and quality accommodation is a great feature of Oxford. The college library can get busy, but it’s a good place for everyone to work. Large exercise areas are available, and the college gym is small but free. The faculty library is very well stocked and makes books very accessible. Lectures are held in an auditorium, which is resonant due to its size, but is generally a great venue for lectures due to its proximity to me. My studies are structured, but also offer great creative freedom in the first year, which allows me to choose historical subjects that are new and that interest me. Classes are good because they are taught by leading scientists in their fields and you can ask questions after class. City life in Oxford is very different from city life in London – it’s smaller and generally less busy, but busier in a very different way. There can be a lot of traffic jams and bicycles around so you have to be careful when walking as you also have to deal with tourists. There’s not as much variety of shops as you’d expect in a city – no Poundland, Waitrose or Lidl in central Oxford, which can make shopping expensive. Get ready to read much more than ever for GCSE or A level. History at Oxford is uniquely intellectually rigorous. With that in mind, this is an informative and engaging course that you can tailor to your interests more than other universities, so take advantage of this feature. Tutorials and lectures with world renowned scholars are an unprecedented and unique opportunity that should be valued more.

It was great – I met a lot of people and really felt like I was part of the university. in terms of subject mix, there was not much across the university. Even though I had work on the third day of freshman year, I still enjoyed it. Really good – the accommodation at my college is excellent, I stayed in a room with a private bathroom so it was very comfortable. My staircase was super nice and we all got along great. The only downside was that the first year we didn’t have a kitchen, which would have been useful. The library is fantastic – so many books and it’s really nice to work in, nice environment and relaxed rules for eating and drinking help. The sports fields are in very good condition, although far away. College Bar is a highlight – such a great atmosphere and cheap drinks! Private lessons are amazing and a great experience to get familiar with your subject. The lectures were pretty good – it can be confusing to know which ones to attend, but they are very informative. The lessons and tutoring are excellent. Life in Oxford is wonderful, the atmosphere is great and the buildings are beautiful. When you walk through the center it really feels like a university town and you see a lot of people you know. Coming from London Oxford may seem a bit small but it’s not claustrophobic

I thought I could have a magic lunch in the Great Hall like in the movie? It doesn’t matter, all the rooms are actually very classical, so it can be considered as studying at Hogwarts! However, study pressure is more than Hogwarts, be careful.

One of the things I felt most strongly about when I was at Oxford was the tutorials, which seemed like we had very few hours per week, but the interaction with the tutors proved whether you had really learnt something on your own that week outside of the classroom. So if any of you are reading this, remember to prepare for tutorials.

As we all know, Harry Potter was set at Oxford University and I have dreamed of going to the ‘Wizarding College’ since I was a child. I was lucky enough to pass all the tests to study at Oxford. I am now working, but I still miss my alma mater very much.

Living up to its reputation of academic rigour, Oxford can be a challenging place to study at times, as much of the work is done independently. As a history student, I do not receive a lot of contact hours. I knew this would be the case before I attended, but it still took me a while to adjust to doing all my work myself and then attending weekly tutorials in order to discuss completed work.

Nevertheless, it goes without saying that having access to experts in your field makes studying here worth the money and the time, and the hard workload really helps you develop to the best of your potential. My experience with several tutors has almost always been positive, and they genuinely want to help you learn.

The beautiful libraries and other buildings also make the city a motivational and comfortable place to work. One of the most unique things about Oxford is its collegiate system, which means you live in smaller, tight-knit communities, but also have better access to academic and financial resources right where you live.

The most important thing to do when considering applying to Oxford is to research colleges, as your choice truly does shape your time there. Some colleges have poor kitchen facilities, which forces you to buy meals in the hall, which, despite being subsidised, can be expensive. Some colleges also have less accommodation, meaning that they may not be able to provide a room for you for the duration of your degree. This can be important since private housing in Oxford is sometimes expensive.

All in all, college life is exciting and much of the social activity revolves around these communities. The small size of these colleges means it is easy to get involved in all sorts of societies, as well as drive change within these institutions. Although attending a university with a reputation for being steeped in tradition and elitism can seem daunting, there genuinely is a welcoming atmosphere for everyone and an ability to make your college or university what you want to make it.

My Oxford education has enabled me to meet many challenges in my professional life, key among them the need to process information quickly and present convincing arguments in all situations. The personalized attention at the heart of the tutorial system really fostered a sense of personal responsibility for my education. I carry the best of what Oxford offered to this day.

Studying at the University of Oxford can be a very stimulating and eye-opening experience, with a supportive network of brilliant people that encourage innovation and exchanges. There is always a place to try out new things or learn about cutting edge research, and the international diversity of the student body at a graduate level provides a unique human experience – in addition to the opportunity of living in a small, gorgeous town with lots of surrounding green areas. On the other hand, the competitivity and the imposteur syndrome can be crushing, and it is important to indulge in self care and to take a step back from Oxford, since it has a very powerful ‘bubble’ effect. As anywhere, there is some good and some bad, but because of the intense rhythm of the Oxford life and academic calendar, these kind be felt more powerfully than in other places.
The University of Oxford helps you achieve high personal and academic standards, and benefits from centuries of scholarship, the proximity of London, and one of the best library network in the world – yet it is also a place that is demanding and in which the sense of realities can sometimes be a little be erased.